The grip portion of a standard tennis racket normally has an octagonal cross-section which poses misalignment problems when a tennis player shifts his hand position for different strokes. The proper orientation of the player's hand on the racket is, of course, necessary for effecting the desired stroke correctly. Reorientation of the player's hand must be accomplished rapidly during play and is primarily effected by a sense of feel. For example, as many as five different grips may be required during play to properly orient the head of the racket. For example, separate grips may be required for a forehand shot, a backhand shot, shortened versions of each of the forehand and backhand volleys at the net, and for serving and overhead smashes.
Such required accuracy of grip position is exemplified by a shot requiring a low, flat drive from the baseline of a tennis court. In order to properly effect such a shot, it is desirable to achieve a low trajectory of the tennis ball with considerable velocity whereby the ball will clear the net by only approximately three inches. Even the slightest error or misalignment of the player's grip on the grip portion of the racket's handle may allow the handle to rotate in the player's hand about 1/32 of an inch or 2.degree. from the correct position, resulting in the ball being hit 18 to 20 inches above or below the top of the net.
Obviously, such misalignment can occur either by the player gripping the standard grip portion of the handle improperly or by the string portion of the racket being impacted off-center and under considerable force by a tennis ball, which tends to apply torque to the racket which is difficult to resist by the hand of the player.